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A report on prospects for universal health care urges India to strengthen its domestic medical technology industry, pointing out that 75% of medical devices in the country are imported. The report, prepared by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with Ernst and Young, also noted that the number of people covered by government health care programs increased from 37 million to 243 million from 2004 to 2010, with the number expected to jump to 500 million by 2015.

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A bill to provide some medical device companies with tax cuts for research and development and staff training is poised to pass in Taiwan. The bill would also give medtech companies government subsidies. Meanwhile, talks are continuing between Taiwan and China on establishing a unified standard for drug companies. Chinese and Taiwanese drug companies are scheduled to meet in China from Nov. 8 to 9.

The U.S. FDA released pharmaceutical industry guidelines on situations that constitute refusing, limiting, denying or delaying inspection of drug manufacturing facilities worldwide. Drugmakers can issue comments on the guidance until Sept. 30.

Spermidine, a natural cell component, cleans out protein buildup in the brains of fruit flies, resulting in improved memory performance of older insects, according to research conducted by Freie Universität Berlin and the University of Graz, published in Nature Neuroscience. The research may help find substances to treat age-related memory loss generally, since the memory processes in fruit flies and humans are similar.

China's state-owned Xinhua news agency reports that, contrary to what GlaxoSmithKline has said, bribery of hospital officials and physicians was organized at the company level and was not simply the actions of unauthorized individuals. The Xinhua story stated that GSK units for large customers kept more than $1.6 million in "public relations funds" to dispense to key hospital personnel. One senior GSK China official said that the company pressed for annual growth rates as high as 25%, which is 7% to 8% higher than the industry average.

Representatives of Japanese drug companies attending a trade meeting in New Delhi expressed their willingness to collaborate with Indian pharma companies in such areas as marketing, research and product development. "We are looking for long-term partnerships with Indian companies," said Hamano International President Shoichiro Hamano.